A new church has been legally recognised – and you can now be officially married in The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The leader of the new church, or “Ministeroni”, Doctor Karen Martyn is a legal marriage celebrant, and the head of the congregation of “Pastafarians”.
According to ABC, their beliefs are that the existence of a god made of spaghetti and meatballs is just as likely as the existence of other gods, a logic that was not disputed by New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs who approved the Church’s request to solemnise weddings.
It may seem unusual that such a ruling could be made on what seems to be a joke church but New Zealand law states that any group who “upholds or promotes religious beliefs or philosophical or humanitarian convictions” can obtain the right to perform marriages.
Not everyone is supportive of the new church, but Dr Martyn insists that although the weddings include “a bit of fun” they are not a spoof organisation.
“While some claim this is a parody organisation, members have rebutted this on a number of occasions,” she explains.
“Our religion has no dogma. It’s one of our rules.
“So we have no dietary restrictions. You can wear any clothing you want. You can look like what you want. You can speak what you want. You can act like what you want. You can even belong to other religions and we don’t care.
“You can make fun of us because we really believe all religions should be subject to scrutiny and to humour. And they should be for the greater good — not something that tears people apart, communities apart, or pits people against each other.
“We are really into maximising the happiness and pleasure not only of individuals, but community and the world, all sentient beings.”
So, if one were to wed at The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster what could one expect? A slight pirate slant naturally.
“We have swords, we have noodles and pasta involved in the ceremony. It’s a bit of fun,” Dr Martyn says.
“I’ve got the formal Pastafarian Ministeroni outfit and I’ve got the more piratey one.”
The wedding feast is, of course, pasta, including one special “love pasta” to mark the occasion.
